Automatic railway switch



sept. 9, 1924. Lsovil P. O. BROWN AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH Filed Anril 24. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Sept. 9, i924.

P. O. BROWN AUTOMATIC4 RAILWAY SW'ITCH Filed Anxfil 24 1924 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 f 33)? @WMWM attenua?,

Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

PEE-EY o. BROWN, 0E sr. VINCENT, MINNESOTA;

.- AU'roivLe'rro RAILWAY-SWITCH; d

` alipncativonmealapriiza,1924. -seiai Nq. 708,713. y'

To all whom t mag/concerf/t:

`Be it known thatl, PERRY O; BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Vincent, in the county ofKittson and `State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Automatic Railway Switches, of which the following is a specificati-on. y This invention relates to automatic railway switches and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed. An object of the invention is to provide a railway switch structure adapted to be operated. by electromagnets which may be energized by an electric circuitl which Vis closed by an enginemoving upon the railway, the electricjcurrent being supplied to the circuit, by a generator, which is `carried by the engine, or ywhich maybe located upon any. other object or at anydfixed point.

With the above objects. in view, .the structure includes a bridle bar, which is connectedvwith the movable rail sections of the track and switch, with spring means for holding the bar, so that the movable track rail section, is normally held in alignment with one of the rails of the track, thus closing the switch. I Two magnets are positioned adjacent the track, and one of them is connected in open circuit with conductors, which extend along 'the track. The other is electrically connected with the said conductors, and one of the movable switch rails. Levers are arranged to be swung by the said magnets when they are energized, and one of the said levers is connected with a circuit closer, which connects with the sec-v ond mentioned magnet. kBroth of the said levers are operatively connected with block and tackle means adapted to serve as means for moving the bridle bar and with which they are connected.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the switch structure and adjacent parts.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the switch.

Figure 3 is a. fragmentary perspective view of the locomotive cab, showing trolley means mounted thereon, and adapted to engage the conductors which are disposed along the tracks.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the locomotive cab.

As illustrated in the drawings, the trac rails are indicated at 1, and the switch rails are indicated at 2. Movable lpoints 3 and are provided, at the intersectionof the switchwiththe.' tracks, andare of usual arrangement.V` A bridle bar 5 is disposed transversely of the track 1 and is connected with the pointsv 'and 4. A spring 6is connected with one vend of the bridle `bar 5 andbears against an abutment 7, and serves toi hold the point 3,l normally in alignmenty withy oneof the rails of the'track'1,`,as .bet y K shown in Figure; of the. drawings. block and tackle device 8' vis connected. with the bridle bar 5 and the tackle is connected.

with levers 9 and 10, .which are .pivoted adjacent the track `1. A1 stop member 411 is located inthe path l0f movement of `the level 105 and the Spring @normally honig the lever 10 in engagement withl the said stop member 11'.` "A magnet 12 is positioned adjacent onev end. of thelever 10, andthe magnet 13 is positioned yadjacent one end ofthe lever' 9. Themagnet .s 12 is larger and stronger than thelmagnet, Wires 14 connect the magnet 12 with conductors 17, which are extended along the' track, and which are supported upon poles 18, in a manner as shown'in Figure 1 of the drawings. A current wire 19 is connected with the magnet 13, and may be connected with a generator (not shown). A wire 2O is connected at one end with the magnet 13,'and at its other end with a circuit closer device 21. The said circuit closer is operatively connected with the lever 9. A wire 22 connects the circuit closer 21, with lthe movable rail section 4, hereinbeforei mentioned.

The cab of the locomotive,,which'travels upon the track 1 is indicated in the drawing at 23. Trolley arms 24 are mounted at the 'opposite sides of the cab23, and carry trolley wheels 25, which are 4adapted to encounter yconductors 17, when the locomotive engine passes under the said conductors and is moving along the track 1 toward the` switch. A wire 26 connects the trolley arms and the trolley wheels with a generator (not shown), and which may be Acarriedby the i loco-motive, or a car of the train which is being pulled by the locomotive.

The automatic railway switch has two separate electric circuits, one for each of the electromagnets 12 and v13. The magnet 12 is energized for the purpose of swinging the lever 10, to throw the'points 3 and 4. This magnet is energized by the electric current rfrom the generator which is carried by theV v locomotive, or by a generator mounted at a fixed point. The trolley wheels, and trolley arms, which are mounted upon the locomotive, serve as means for closing the circuit to the magnet 12, when the wheels encounter the conductors 17. LThe magnet 13, when energized, serves as means for holding the points 3 and 4, at the position to which they have been thrown by the magnet l2. /Vhen the lever 10 is swung, the tackle 8 which is connected with both of the levers 9 and 10, swings the lever 9, whereby the gaps between the wires 20 and 22, is closed, by the circuit closer 21, `and then the magnet 13 is energized by the current which flows over the wire 19 and which may come from a generator mounted at a Xed point. When the locomotive engine has passed beyond the conductors 17, the electric circuit to the magnet 12 is broken, but, inasmuch as the wheels of some of the cars are upon one rail of the switch and the point 14, the axles which connect the said wheels, bridge the gap between the point 4 and the rail of the switch, and the circuit remains completed to the magnet 13. When the last car has passed over the switch, a gap in the circuit, to the magnet 13 is made, and the said magnet is deenergized and the points 3 and 4 are returned to their normal position, under the influence of the spring 6.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

the magnets by a circuit completed by a vehicle moving upon the track, an open cir cuit connecting the other magnet with the switch and the movable point, and a circuit closer connected with one of the levers, and

adapted to close the circuitto the second mentioned magnet, when the vehicle moves upon the switch, and the irst mentioned magnet is energized. I

2. An automatic railway switch, comprising pivoted points connected with the bridle bar, a pair of levers pivot-ed adjacent the switch, means operatively connecting the levers together and connected withy the bridle bar, a magnet for each lever, one

magnet being stro-nger than the other mag* L net, a circuit closer electrically connected with the weaker magnet and with one of the levers, the stronger magnet being connected with the conductors which, are extended along the track and the weakermagnet being connected with movable parts of the switch.

In testimony whereof I aiix my' signaf ture.

PERRY O. BROWN. 

